Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul Cost of Living Comparison Between Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $652 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $416 in Kabul.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $827 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $602 in Kabul.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,001 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $787 in Kabul.

Living in Mazar-i-Sharif is roughly 57% more expensive than Kabul, driven mainly by Monthly Utilities & Internet.

Both cities sit below the global median: Mazar-i-Sharif 51% lower, Kabul 69% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 ؋139

$2.53 ؋161

-13.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.10 ؋895

$10.74 ؋682

31.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.28 ؋208

$4.37 ؋278

-24.94%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.61 ؋229

$2.24 ؋143

61.16%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 ؋448

$1.68 ؋107

320.24%

Cappuccino

$1.15 ؋73.3

$1.01 ؋64.0

13.86%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.52 ؋33.20

$0.36 ؋22.93

44.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.25 ؋15.70

$0.13 ؋8.10

92.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.55 ؋34.95

$0.71 ؋44.85

-22.54%

White Bread (500g)

$0.20 ؋12.48

$0.21 ؋13.14

-4.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 ؋99.2

$1.70 ؋108

-8.24%

Eggs

$1.55 ؋98.7

$1.42 ؋90.0

9.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.11 ؋325

$3.84 ؋244

33.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.70 ؋235

$3.35 ؋213

10.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.26 ؋334

$6.00 ؋381

-12.33%

Apples (1kg)

$0.56 ؋35.62

$0.53 ؋33.75

5.66%

Banana (1kg)

$0.94 ؋60.0

$0.80 ؋50.8

17.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.71 ؋45.34

$0.75 ؋47.84

-5.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.56 ؋35.61

$0.46 ؋29.36

21.74%

Potato (1kg)

$0.46 ؋29.51

$0.48 ؋30.44

-4.17%

Onion (1kg)

$0.36 ؋22.82

$0.43 ؋26.99

-16.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.41 ؋26.05

$0.23 ؋14.60

78.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ؋17.57

$0.33 ؋20.72

-15.15%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.87 ؋118

$1.97 ؋125

-5.08%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 ؋28.54

$0.94 ؋59.5

-52.13%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.13 ؋71.6

$1.48 ؋93.9

-23.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.18 ؋75.0

$2.64 ؋168

-55.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.48 ؋30.42

$0.21 ؋13.31

128.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.66 ؋1,375

$9.87 ؋627

119.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ؋46.37

$1.76 ؋112

-58.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.33 ؋84.3

$0.55 ؋35.21

141.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.40 ؋88.9

$2.59 ؋164

-45.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 ؋70.7

$0.95 ؋60.1

16.84%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$9,996 ؋634.8K

$7,763 ؋493.0K

28.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.0K ؋2.6M

$32.1K ؋2.0M

27.69%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$110 ؋7,012

$50.3 ؋3,196

119.44%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$15.56 ؋988

$13.77 ؋874

13.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$290 ؋18.4K

$91.6 ؋5,819

216.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$10.90 ؋692

$9.06 ؋575

20.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.52 ؋224

$3.88 ؋247

-9.28%

Cinema Ticket

$4.24 ؋269

$2.21 ؋140

91.86%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$28.98 ؋1,840

$18.18 ؋1,155

59.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,414 ؋89.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$12.20 ؋775

$9.57 ؋608

27.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.44 ؋1,108

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$32.79 ؋2,082

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$17.29 ؋1,098

$28.41 ؋1,804

-39.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$85.0 ؋5,396

$85.0 ؋5,398

-0.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$43.37 ؋2,754

$58.5 ؋3,715

-25.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$146 ؋9,245

$203 ؋12.9K

-28.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$70.5 ؋4,478

$111 ؋7,037

-36.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$732 ؋46.5K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$410 ؋26.1K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$242 ؋15.4K

$351 ؋22.3K

-31.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

18.5

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mazar-i-Sharif: June 1, 2026

Last update for Kabul: June 2, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $85.0 in Mazar-i-Sharif and $85.0 in Kabul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kabul pays 45% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $14.00 in Mazar-i-Sharif vs $11.00 in Kabul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $91.0 vs $88.0 per month, with Kabul cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mazar-i-Sharif vs Kabul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazar-i-Sharif and Kabul differ by about 57% in total monthly costs ($652 vs $416 including rent). Kabul is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Kabul earns 45% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $85.0 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $85.0 in Kabul. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Kabul runs roughly 119% less than in Mazar-i-Sharif. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $28.98 in Mazar-i-Sharif versus $18.18 in Kabul. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Either city works on $1,200 a month, though Kabul gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Kabul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Mazar-i-Sharif. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.